“Through You we push back our enemies; through Your name we trample our foes.” ~Psalm 44:5

“Through You we push back our enemies; through Your name we trample our foes.” ~Psalm 44:5

This Psalm is called “Israel’s Complaint”. It begins with the people reminding God of what He did for their forefathers; this verse is part of that. But verse 9 quickly shifts gears to a whining pity party - look at the last 4 verses:

“Lord, wake up! Why are You sleeping? Get up! Don't ignore us forever! 
Why are You hiding from us? Have You forgotten our pain and troubles? 
We have been pushed down into the dirt. We are lying face down in the dust. 
Get up and help us! Rescue us because of Your faithful love.”

Wow. But at least they acknowledge that God’s love is faithful. They know He hasn’t really left them. We’re a lot like that, aren’t we? It’s like having a pebble in your shoe. You want resolution NOW. You can’t think of anything else while that discomfort exists.

Patience is something that comes from the Holy Spirit - waiting, trusting and hoping. Ask Abraham how long he waited for the promised son (25 years) or Noah how long he waited for the command to enter the ark when he had never even heard of rain before (~100 years). God’s timing is not ours, certainly. But we do know that His promises ALWAYS are fulfilled. We have to keep that in mind when we get a pebble in our shoe!

“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” ~Psalm 24:14